What does carotene mean?
Carotene is an orange or red organic pigment belonging to the carotenoid family, abundant in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and leafy greens. It gives these foods their characteristic colour and serves an important nutritional role: the human body converts carotene — particularly its beta-carotene form — into vitamin A, which supports vision, immune function, and skin health. The word appears most often in nutritional, medical, and food-science writing, frequently in phrases such as 'rich in carotene' or 'beta-carotene supplement'. A memorable quirk is that consuming very large amounts of carotene-rich food can temporarily tint the skin a yellow-orange hue, a harmless condition known as carotenemia. Derived from the word 'carrot' via German 'Karotin', the term reflects the vegetable where the pigment was first identified. Carotene is a countable and uncountable noun used almost exclusively in informative rather than casual conversation, making it a useful word for anyone discussing diet, health, or plant biology.
nounAn orange or red plant pigment of the carotenoid class, found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables, which the body can convert into vitamin A.
- An orange plant pigment (a carotenoid) found in vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes, convertible in the body into vitamin A.
"Carrots owe their bright colour to the carotene they contain."
"Sweet potatoes are prized not just for their flavour but for their high carotene content."
"The nutritionist explained that the body converts carotene into vitamin A as needed."
Usually uncountable when referring to the substance generally; the plural is used mainly in scientific writing to refer to different types of carotene pigments.
"Several carotenes are present in palm oil."
Eat too many carrots and the carotene can actually tint your skin orange — a harmless condition called carotenemia.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carotene
Carotene derives from 'carrot', whose ultimate source is Greek 'karōton'. The term was coined in the nineteenth century, with German chemists using forms such as 'Karotin' after isolating the pigment from carrot roots; English adopted 'carotene' (and occasionally 'carotin'). The suffix '-ene' reflects its classification among unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds. It shares its root with related terms such as 'carotenoid' and 'carrot' itself.
Related word forms
How carotene is actually used
Carotene is a scientific and nutritional term used mainly in formal, medical, and food-science contexts. In everyday speech it often appears as part of the compound 'beta-carotene'. British spelling may also appear as 'carotin' in older texts, though this variant is now rare.
Easily confused with carotene
Keratin is a structural protein in hair and nails, whereas carotene is a plant pigment that the body converts to vitamin A.
Creatine is a compound involved in muscle energy supply, while carotene is a dietary pigment from plants.